5 Times Eliot Was Subtle and 1 Time Parker Wasn't
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: Sequel to Let Me Be Your Hero. How is Eliot going to show Parker how he feels? And how is she going to react? Summary isn't as good as the story, I promise! Rating may go up later...not sure yet.
1. Chapter 1: Cereal

Disclaimer: I still don't own Leverage…Why must you always rub it in?!

A/N: Okay guys, here's the sequel to Let Me Be Your Hero. It's definitely on the lighter side of the emotional spectrum, but don't worry, there will be some angst…I hope. Can't have it be all happy happy joy joy, now can we? Or can we? Hmmm…I'll have to think about this. Please, Read and Review my friends! This story is for kausingkayn, leverage fan, and everyone who was really excited when I said sequel.

5 Times When Eliot Was Subtle and 1 Time Parker Wasn't

Chapter 1: Cereal

Parker was acting weird…well, weirder than normal. Or at least Eliot thought so. All through the briefing she kept glancing in the direction of the kitchen. But they were very quick looks, never lasting more than a second. The one time her gaze ended up meeting the hitter's and he mouthed "What?" She had frozen and then turned her full attention back to Hardison. Eliot just quirked and eyebrow and did the same. He would talk to her later.

When the meeting was over everyone did their own thing. The happy newlyweds snuck upstairs, trying to be discreet but failing horribly. Hardison typed away at his computer, trying to get as much information as he could on the building they were going to have to break into and Parker slunk off to the kitchen, leaning against the island and staring at the cupboards. Eliot followed her and took up a place next to her, noting the forlorn expression on her face.

"What's up?" he asked and she jumped before turning her gaze to him.

"It's gone," she said sadly before turning back to the cupboards. "It's all gone."

"What's all gone darlin'?" he asked, frowning at the tone of her voice.

"The cereal."

Eliot did a double take. "The cereal?" he asked, making sure he had heard right.

"Yeah," was followed by a sad sigh.

"Why are you so upset that the cereal is gone? Just tell Nate to get more."

"I told him we were out and he said that I could get more, but…"

"But what?" Eliot asked, trying very hard not to laugh.

"I don't know where he got it and he can't remember! I've been all over the city and I can't find it!"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry darlin'," he said. Parker just sighed, nodded and walked away, heading for the door. Once she was gone Eliot hurried over to where Hardison was still sitting, apparently oblivious to the exchange that had just occurred.

"Hey, Hardison, can you do me a favor?" Eliot asked, standing behind the hacker and leaning over his shoulder.

"What?"

"I need you to find something for me."

"And just what would that be?"

Eliot whispered something in the hacker's ear and Hardison spun around, startling the hitter into jumping back. "Are you serious man?" he exclaimed.

"Just do it Hardison!"

"Any place specific you're looking for this?" the hacker asked, turning back to the computer and starting his work.

"Closest place you can find it," the hitter said, heading over to the door. "Call me when you find it."

"Where are you going?" Hardison called, looking up from the screen.

"I'm going to start looking on my own!" Eliot called. "Just do your thing!"

The door opened and slammed shut when Eliot left and Hardison sighed, rolling his eyes. "This is ridiculous, my skills being used for this…I can hack into the freaking government and he wants me to find a freaking cereal brand. For crying out loud…" he muttered as he typed away.

*****

The next morning when Parker walked in, she was still feeling a bit upset, until, that is, she spotted the island in the kitchen. Sitting there innocently were sixes boxes of cereal, stacked in a pyramid, a bowl filled to the brim and ready with a spoon already waiting for her. She squealed and skipped over, picking up the bowl and noticing the note underneath it. Taking a bite of cereal, she read the scrawl on the piece of paper.

_Darlin',_

_Next time you need more cereal, just give a holler._

There wasn't a signature on the bottom, but the thief knew who it was from. She heard a snore from the couch and skipped over, spotting the hitter, sleeping there, arms thrown across the back of the couch, one leg stretched out in front of him.

Parker grinned and sat down carefully next to him, trying not to wake him up, but his eyes opened up and he looked over at her.

"Thanks for the cereal Eliot!" she said happily. Then, in perfect Parker style, she scooped up some cereal and held it out, offering it to the hitter. He shook his head, grinning, and then took a bite.

"No problem darlin'. No problem at all. Glad to help," he said before closing his eyes again and waiting for the others to get there. Parker just sat next to him and ate her cereal happily, content.

A/N: Here's the first chapter everyone. Like I said, much more light hearted. The next chapter will be up soon! Kausingkayn and leveragefan will make sure of that! Believe me!


	2. Chapter 2: Horses

Disclaimer: I still don't own Leverage…or Torchwood…No, this chapter has nothing to do with Torchwood,okay, maybe a little bit, but kausingkayn, I know you feel my pain!

A/N: If I can come up with the perfect Leverage/Torchwood crossover, I will write it, but until then, we have this! And the third story…maybe. But definitely a one shot companion. Hehehe…you'll like that one. I hope that you're all enjoying this story and don't forget to review! I love the feedback! On to chapter 2!

Chapter 2: Horses

"Come on Parker!" Eliot called as he headed for the door. She appeared from behind the island in the kitchen and looked at him curiously.

"What's going on?" she asked, walking over to him as he tossed her her denim jacket.

"We're goin' out. Nate said we have the afternoon off, I'm taking you somewhere," he said, ushering her out the door.

"Where?" she asked suspiciously as she went into the hall and headed for the stairs.

"It's a surprise, now get movin' down to the truck and hop in," he said, walking ahead of her and out of the bar, getting into the driver's side and starting up the engine. She hopped in next to him and buckled herself in, still eyeing him suspiciously. "Oh don't look at me like that. You're going to like this…I hope…" he added as he pulled out onto the road and headed for the highway. "Turn on the radio if you want."

Parker did just that and was soon singing along with the country music on the radio and Eliot couldn't help but grin.

After about an hour and a half of driving Eliot pulled off of the highway and Parker looked around. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Well, since you seem to be more comfortable around horses since we helped out Aimee, I thought I'd take you riding," he said, turning off onto a long dirt driveway. On either side was a high wooden fence, maybe more like a barrier. "This is my ranch, one of the things that I bought with my pay out from the first job."

"I thought you weren't going to tell known thieves what you did with that pay out," Parker said, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. True, she had been okay with Kentucky Thunder, but what about all of these different horses?

Eliot sensed her tense up and had to work to hide his grin. "It'll be alright darlin', I won't let anything bad happen to you," he said and reached across, taking her hand for a second and giving it a reassuring squeeze before pulling away and turning into the garage, parking and turning to her. "Are you ready?" he asked, grinning this time.

"Umm…sure?" she said, unsure of herself.

"Alright, come on then," he said, hopping out of the truck and Parker followed suit. She followed Eliot out of the garage and across the drive to a large stable. She hesitated at the door to the stable and peeked inside as Eliot walked down the aisle. "Come on Parker!" he called, seeming to know that she had stopped without even turning around. Sighing, Parker followed him inside and looked nervously at the horses in the stalls as she walked by.

"Eliot, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked as they reached the end of the stable and Eliot opened up one of the stalls.

"Parker, it's fine. Trust me. Here, look, this is Taffy. She's one of the gentlest horses here. You can ride her," he said, putting the bridle on the horse as Parker walked up. She stepped into the stall and reached a hand out to the horse, going slowly and being very careful not to spook the horse. Taffy snorted and then shook her head back and forth. Parker looked to Eliot and he grinned. "She likes you darlin'."

"Well, she is very pretty," Parker said, stepping forward and stroking the horse's cheek, smiling. Taffy was a light tan color with a sandy brown tail and mane. "You're a good girl, aren't you?" Parker said.

"Here, let me show you how to get her ready to ride," Eliot said, grabbing a blanket that was hanging over the side of the stall and draping it over Taffy's back. "That will make sure that she doesn't get hurt by the saddle," he said as he grabbed that next and secured it on the horse. "Now, why don't you walk her out of the stall and wait while I get Jack ready."

"Jack?" Parker asked as she gently led Taffy out into the aisle.

"Yes, I named my horse Jack. Don't tell Hardison though, something about some freaking science fiction show and some immortal guy. I don't know, he just rambles and I tune him out."

Parker stood there with Taffy while Eliot went over to another stall and prepped a large black stallion. As soon as the hitter pulled Jack out of his stall, the horse was trotting over to Taffy and neighing at her. Parker raised an eyebrow at Eliot. "He's very…friendly," Eliot said and led Jack out of the stable, allowing Parker to lead Taffy out as well.

"How much land do you have here Eliot?" the thief asked as Eliot walked over and helped her mount Taffy before he mounted Jack.

"Enough for a few nice rides," he said, guiding his horse over to Parker's side and standing there. "Now, you just have to guide her with your legs, just push her side with your legs whichever way you want to turn. Don't push too hard, but hard enough that she feels it. We'll start off easy," he said, shaking the reigns and getting Jack going. Parker did the same and Taffy started off at a comfortable pace, keeping next to Eliot.

"This isn't too bad," Parker said and Eliot grinned at the tone of surprise in her voice.

"I told you, you would be just fine. Now come on, let's go down this way, it circles around the lake."

Eliot spurred Jack on and started galloping down the trail. Parker hesitated for a moment before doing as he had done and spurred Taffy after him. She thought the magic that came from repelling down a building was great, this was completely different. Instead of flying towards the ground, she was flying through the trees. The wind in her hair was fantastic and she felt like she never wanted to stop. She spurred her mount onwards, racing even past Eliot who laughed and called out to her. After a few minutes she came to a stop and turned around, watching Eliot coming up the path, trying to catch up.

She laughed when she saw the look on his face and then she heard the growl. Freezing, Parker looked around and saw nothing on the ground. No bear, thank goodness, she didn't think even Eliot could take on a bear. But then she heard the growl again, coming from behind and above her. Taffy was starting to move nervously now and Parker turned around and spotted the mountain lion in one of the trees, crouching down, readying to pounce.

"Parker! Get out of there!" she heard Eliot shout as she heard Jack's hooves hit the ground with more speed. Eliot must have spotted the big cat too, but there wasn't enough time. Parker pushed hard on Taffy's side, trying to get her to move out of the way, but she only succeeded in causing the horse to buck and throw her off. The thief landed on the ground, the breath getting knocked out of her. The lion pounced down at Taffy, but the horse took off down the path and instead, the cat turned its attention to Parker. It growled and crouched down, getting ready to pounce again when there was a thunder of hooves and then there he was, Jack bucking and coming down on the lion, except that it dodged out of the way just in time and ran off into the woods.

Eliot hopped down off of Jack and crouched down next to Parker, cupping one of her cheeks and stroking it with his thumb. "You okay Parker?" he asked gently. She looked up at him and shook her head. "Did you hurt yourself or are you just shaken?"

"I think I'm just a bit shaken," she said quietly.

"Come on, let's get you back to the ranch. Once you're back, I'll come out and find Taffy."

He helped her to her feet and got her on Jack before climbing on behind her. "Eliot, it's not safe. That cat might still be out here when you come back," Parker protested as they started back up the path at a gallop.

"I'll be fine. Jack handled it fine that time, and he will again. He's rather brave, sometimes a bit too much."

He held the reins with one hand and had his other arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her gently in place. It seemed like mere minutes before they were back at the ranch and Eliot guided Jack over to the house, hopping down and tying him to the rails on the porch before helping Parker down and leading her into the house. She was shaking somewhat and Eliot wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her through the rooms until he came to his bedroom.

"Come on," he said, leading her over and sitting down on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to him, closest to the headboard. "Sit."

Parker did as told and sat down. She was still shaking and Eliot reached up and pulled her head down gently to rest on his shoulder. "You handled yourself pretty well, you know that right?" he said whispered.

"I got thrown off the horse," she said, chuckling sadly.

"You stayed calm and tried to get Taffy out of the way. That was good for never having been in that position before," he said, voice gentle.

"I almost got the two of us killed."

"No, no you didn't. You're fine, I'm fine, Jack is fine and as soon as I find her and get her back to the stable, Taffy will be fine too. Just relax Parker, you're safe now."

Wrapping an arm around her, Eliot held her close, comforting her as best he could. After a while, he felt her relax against him completely and when he looked down, he found her eyes had closed and her breathing had evened out. Lifting her up into his arms carefully, he laid her down on the bed and covered her with the blanket. Watching her for a few minutes, he went out and untied Jack, mounting him again and riding off down the path from before. If he knew Taffy, she would be at the lake.

*****

Parker woke up later and found herself lying under the blanket and alone. She stood up and walked out to the main area. There was no sign of Eliot, but when she heard noise coming from the kitchen, she went in there and found the hitter standing at the stove, cooking something up. As she stood in the doorway, he took a swig from the beer bottle next to him on the counter and she had to laugh. He spun around at that and grinned when he saw her standing there. "Hey Sleeping Beauty. You feelin' better?"

"Yeah," she said, walking towards him and hopping up on the counter, watching him. "Did you run into the cat again?"

"Nope, he's probably long gone by now. I did find Taffy though and she and Jack are back in the stable. I fed them both, so they should be fine, but you should go out to see them in a while," he said, stirring the ingredients in the frying pan.

"Why?" Parker asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Well, I did get Taffy for you," he said, looking up at her and grinning. Her mouth dropped open in surprise and he laughed.

"For…me? But why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Because, all you had was a plant and that got blown up with the old offices. I wanted to get you something else. Plus, it gives you something to do other than throwing yourself off of buildings. Which really, come on Parker, not the best idea to do every second of every day."

"So you bought me…a horse?" she asked, still in shock.

"Yes, I bought you a horse. Is it really that crazy?" he asked.

"I guess…not?" she said, pondering it for a second before hopping down from the counter. "I'm going to go check on my horse," she said happily.

"There are some sugar cubes in the stable, in the pouch right outside Taffy's stall. Give her a few. She likes them."

"Alright!" Parker exclaimed, hugging Eliot before skipping out the door.

The hitter was rather glad that Parker had high tailed it out of that kitchen as fast as she had because it would have been hard for him to hide the blush that came to his cheeks for any longer. He was glad that Parker no longer thought that horses were murderous creatures…it was the mountain lions you had to watch out for.


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmares

Disclaimer: I still don't own Leverage. Why must you people rub it in?!

A/N: Okay, Jason, Ashley, this chapter is for you. And Jason, thanks for helping me get Eliot and Parker alone together! I owe it all to you!

Chapter 3: Nightmares

They had told her to be careful, told her to make sure she had plenty of time to get out of the building with what they needed, but had the blonde thief listened? No, of course not. She had waited until the last second and then dove out the window. True, it had only been the first floor of the building and she did land in the heated swimming pool, but the weather outside of the pool had been fifteen degrees. Parker had started running for the hotel as soon as she was out, but it was going to take too long.

That was when Eliot went out in the truck to get her. It had been a good ten minutes before he got to her and when he had, she was shivering and her lips were an unhealthy color of blue. As soon as Parker was in and buckled, Eliot had put the pedal to the medal and gotten her back to the hotel.

That had happened the night before. Now, Parker was laid out in bed, with a fever of 103, and being plagued by fever dreams. The others had to continue with the con or risk losing it, so Eliot had stayed behind to watch over her.

She had been crying out for the past few hours, tossing and turning, sometimes begging to be let go, sometimes begging for the pain to end. Eliot sat there, trying to stay as calm as he could for her, whispering to her, trying to comfort her, all they while mopping at her brow with soaked washcloths. He had to keep the fever from getting much worse.

Eliot had been keeping vigil for over five hours and Nate had just called to check in when the hitter started to doze. It was when she screamed that he jerked awake and sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.

"Parker, it's okay darlin', you're fine, no one's here but you and me!" he shouted, trying to be heard above the scream escaping her lips. She quieted somewhat and then she started whimpering.

"Please…not Nate…"

Eliot froze at this, his hand in mid air above her forehead, ready to try and cool her off. "Parker?" he asked.

"Please, we don't know where Eliot is!" Parker pleaded before screaming again, her body jerking violently on the bed before going limp.

"Parker!" Eliot shouted, reaching forward and gathering her into his arms. He held onto her tightly and stroked her hair, whispering in her ear. "Come on Parker, open those eyes for me, let me see those beautiful blues."

There was silence for a few moments, no sound except for their breathing, and then, "…Eliot?"

The hitter looked down and saw that she was looking up at him, her eyes glazed over with fever. "There you are. You scared me Parker."

"I scared you?" she asked and Eliot couldn't help but be reminded of a little girl. "What…where are we?"

"We're at the hotel. You're late night dip in freezing temperatures really wasn't the best idea Parker."

"But..Nate and I…we were…no, you got us out, you and Sophie and Hardison. That was…"

"It's been a few months darlin'," Eliot said, laying her back down gently. "Give me a second and I'll go get a fresh cloth."

Eliot walked to the bathroom and soaked the cloth again, wringing it out and returning to Parker's side. "You just need to take it easy and you'll be right as rain in no time."

"Where are the others?" she asked weakly as Eliot placed the cloth on her forehead.

"They're out finishing up the job. Don't worry, we should be getting out of here in no time at all. And then, we can all take care of you."

"I really don't mind it being just you…" she said tiredly.

Eliot grinned and wiped the cloth on her forehead, down her cheeks and down her neck. She groaned slightly, the cool cloth against her blazing skin helping her. "You just relax Parker, get some rest, I'll keep an eye on you."

Parker closed her eyes and winced as the fever made it uncomfortable. Eliot moved up on the bed and lifted Parker into his arms again, lying down and allowing Parker's head to rest against his chest. "Are you okay with this?" she asked, her eyes remaining closed.

"You just worry about yourself darlin'," he whispered, rubbing her arm supportively. After a few minutes, he felt her breathing even out as she drifted back off to sleep. He made sure his phone was on vibrate and within reach before concentrating on keeping the thief in his arms comfortable.

*****

_Parker was back in the cell with Nate in Kiev. Their captors had returned and were dragging her away from Nate and down the hall for another round of interrogation. She shouted and fought and kicked, trying to get away, and then there was a voice._

"_It's alright darlin', you're safe. No one's gonna hurt you like that ever again."_

_And then she wasn't being dragged away anymore. She was back at the office, surrounded by the others, but one was stepping towards her, away from the others. Eliot. _

_He stepped away from the others, causing Nate, Sophie and Hardison to fade into the background, and reached out to her, taking her into his arms and pressing his lips down against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her up. Parker wrapped her legs around Eliot's waist and he carried her over to his office, laying her down on the sofa._

_She reached down and pulled Eliot's shirt off from behind. He chuckled and reached down to nip at her neck, causing Parker to moan in pleasure._

"Parker?"

Her eyes shot open and she looked up at Nate who had just walked in. Looking around, she saw that she was still in Eliot's arms, but that he had fallen asleep. Turning her attention back to Nate, she wiped her forehead, clearing away some of the sweat there. "Yeah Nate?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, walking over and resting his hand on her forehead. "You were moaning, are you in any pain?"

"No, I'm feeling better actually. Thanks."

"Good, well, why don't you get a little more rest. The job is done, so we'll be clearing out soon."

The thief nodded and watched as the mastermind left the room before looking back up at Eliot. Her hand trailed down from her forehead to her neck where he had…no, it was just a dream…but still.

Oh shiny tomato…she was falling in love with Eliot Spencer.


	4. Chapter 4: Cooking

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, and at this rate, I never will…*cries*

A/N: This one is going out to Meg and Jason. And of course to all my faithful reviewers and, as kausingkayn words it, my silent stalkers.

Chapter 4: Cooking

It was a quiet day at the office and the team was just relaxing at Nate's loft, or, the Natecave as they had come to call it. Hardison was pulling an all day movie marathon, and while Nate and Sophie were technically watching, they were a little preoccupied with each other.

Parker, being Parker, just couldn't sit still for too long, so when Eliot stood up and walked back to the kitchen when the first movie had finished up, she had watched him longingly, wanting to join him, but not wanting to leave too quickly.

About fifteen minutes into the second movie though, something called "Fiend Without a Face" and when she had determined that it was most likely going to leave her crazier than she already was, she decided to join Eliot anyway.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she walked over to the kitchen area.

"Making some snacks," he replied, not looking up from the peaches he was peeling.

"Peaches…for movies?"

"This is just one simple part of it. I know you're not a fan of apples, so how about peach dumplings?"

Parker looked up sharply at him. "How did you know I don't like apples?" she asked quietly.

"Come on darlin'. Every time you go for the fruit basket, you're always avoiding the apples. You almost seem to wince in pain at them," he said jokingly in answer to her question. "You don't have a problem with peaches, do you?"

"No, peaches are good."

She watched as he peeled the fruit and realized that he did it with such care that it was incredible. It was almost as though he was handling some priceless work of art, almost like she did when she was robbing a museum.

Eliot noted her watching him and had to grin. "Do you wanna help darlin'?" he asked.

She jumped and then stumbled over her words. "Well, I don't know, I don't want to screw you up…"

"No, come on, it's fine, come here," he said, stepping back and letting her walk over. "Now, what we want to do at this point is start dicing them. We'll take it nice and slow so you get a feel for it. Here, take the knife," he said, handing the blade to her handle first.

"Eliot, really, I don't know…"

"Parker, just calm down, it's fine, I'm gonna help you with this," he said quietly, meeting her gaze. She nodded slowly after a moment and turned to the counter.

She stood there, blade hovering above one of the peeled peaches for a second before she felt his chest against her back and then his hand covered hers. "See, I'm gonna help you."

Parker nodded nervously and watched as Eliot's hand guided hers and the blade down, slicing through the meat of the fruit. She was extremely aware of their closeness, but little did she know, Eliot was too.

He leant his head down over her shoulder and she tensed for a second before relaxing into it.

Eliot grinned, having hoped that this was how she would end up reacting. He had noticed stray glances that she cast him and couldn't help but be pleased by this.

"And now," he whispered softly in her ear, causing her to shiver, "just go like this," and without a moment hesitation, he tapped the blade off the cutting board and all the pieces of peach sticking to the metal fell off. Parker jumped a little, but Eliot just kept her steady. "You're fine, you're doing just great."

She nodded and leaned back into him and she grinned when she felt the hitter shiver. "So, how many of these peaches do we have to cut up?" she asked.

"Oh, about ten," Eliot replied and she noted that his voice was slightly husky.

"Well, we better get started then."

*****

After the peaches were finished being diced, Eliot sent Parker back to the movie. He wanted to surprise her, and so he couldn't have her help him with the actual dumplings themselves.

About an hour later, he was pulling the tray of dumplings out of the oven and setting them on the counter to cool while he grabbed the ice cream out of the freezer. Taking a spatula, he scooped the dumplings off the tray and onto into a bowl and then dropped a scoop of ice cream down on top. When he was all done he carried the bowls over to the others and handed them out before going back and grabbing his own. Eliot plopped down on the couch next to Parker and watched her out of the corner of his eye as they ate their ice cream, getting down to the dumpling. And then he heard her gasp and grinned.

"It's a fortune cookie!" she exclaimed and the others laughed.

"Mine's a computer mouse!" Hardison said, grinning at Eliot.

"Chess piece," Nate replied.

"Rose bloom," Sophie added.

"Open your fortune cookie," Eliot whispered to the thief next to him. She gave him a suspicious look and then opened it up. In icing across the diced up peaches on the inside was written, "Companionship and lifelong friends are closer than you think."

She felt herself tear up slightly and then felt a hand encompass hers. Looking over at the blue eyes that were staring at her, she smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem darliln'," he replied.

Hardison put a new movie in, Star Wars this time, and got it started. Parker subtly scooted closer to Eliot on the couch until she was right up against him. He looked down at her in surprise, but then he picked his arm up and draped it across her shoulders, letting her get closer if she wanted to, which she did.

"You know something Eliot?" Parker whispered as the movie progressed.

"What Parker?" he asked, actually paying attention to the fighting that was occurring on the screen.

"You're my scruffy looking nerf herder."

He looked down at her, then at the screen, then back at Parker, who was watching the movie intently.

"…What?!"

A/N: Yeah, I don't own that line from Star Wars either, and if you have ever seen Fiend Without a Face, I'm sorry. If you never have, God bless you.

Please, everyone, review! I really want to get my reviews higher for this story! I know you're there! Leave me a message!


	5. Chapter 5: Dancing

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…

A/N: Almost to the end of this story, this chapter and then the one time that Parker wasn't subtle and I bet that you all are wondering how she isn't going to be subtle. *grins* You all are going to love it, especially if you loved the nightmares chapter. Onward!

Chapter 5: Dancing

They were on a job. They were undercover, at least, that was what Eliot kept telling himself to try and justify what he was doing.

The mark they were after liked to go out to clubs. He would do some of his seedier business in the back rooms and alleys and it would be hard to catch him. Except for the members of Leverage Consulting and Associates of course.

Eliot and Parker were acting as the mark's next clients, and they were supposed to be dating. Well, a couple, at a club, a couple consisting of Eliot and Parker. Let's just say that the hitter had been waiting for a chance like this for months.

They were at the club, waiting for their chance to take on the mark. The hitter's attention was focused solely on the thief dancing in front of him. And, the fact that her dress was short, strapless and red didn't hurt anything either.

The music switched to a slightly slower song and Parker looked up at Eliot nervously. "Let's go get a drink…" she said, trailing off. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand, holding her back.

"No, come on, it's fine Parker, just remember Nate and Sophie's wedding. You follow, I'll lead," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist, the other taking her hand into his. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze while her free hand wandered up to his shoulder and rested there.

Eliot let the music lead him and he spun her around the dance floor, staying in their little bubble, seeing as the club was packed. His eyes were locked onto hers and he was holding her tighter than either of them were used to.

"Eliot…" Parker murmured, not sure of what to say. She had been aware of her feelings for him changing, but she had no idea how he was going to take it or if she should even bring up the subject with the stoic hitter.

"Darlin', just relax, we're just dancin'," he murmured back to her, seeming to know what she was thinking. The thief blushed and looked away, hoping that he didn't have the ability to read her mind. She didn't want him to know that every time he touched her, she felt like nothing could ever go wrong. She felt safe, comforted and loved whenever he held her, and like this, closer than ever before, Parker was fairly certain that she had no desire to ever leave that moment or that place.

"Eliot, Parker, I think your guy is about to head in," Hardison said into the comm..

"Nate, could you stall him for a few minutes, kind of busy over here," Eliot said, looking to the side before returning his attention to Parker. "Now darlin', have you ever been effectively dipped?"

Before Parker could respond, Eliot dipped her backwards and she swore she was going to fall to the ground. She yelped in surprise, her eyes scrunching closed before she came to an abrupt stop, Eliot's arm held tight against her back. Opening her eyes, she found Eliot grinning down at her, a little bit of concern in his eyes. "Are you okay Parker?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured. "You just surprised me is all…"

"Sorry about that darlin'," he said, lifting her back up to her feet before returning to the previous position. "But you seriously don't need to worry about anything. I'm not going to let anything happen to you ever again."

She was instantly reminded of when they were in Kiev and she involuntarily whimpered before leaning into Eliot, her head resting against his chest. He was startled at first, but after a moment, he wrapped both of his arms around her and held her tightly, one of his arms coming up to stroke her hair gently.

"It's okay Parker, they're not coming after you ever again. They will never touch you again, and neither will anyone else as long as I'm here."

They swayed quietly with the music and she finally looked up at him. "In the cell…I wasn't sure if you were going to find us in time…" she murmured.

"I will always find you. No matter what happens, I will always find you. You don't need to worry about losing me or getting lost. I'll come for you."

She nodded, and that was when the music ended. "Looks like we need to go do our jobs now…" she said, hastily wiping her eyes and pulling back. Eliot pulled her back against him for a minute and kissed the top of her head.

"I meant it Parker. Don't worry, you're safe."

She nodded and smiled. He turned and headed for the bar, she was supposed to follow a minute later, but she grabbed his hand quickly and he stopped turning to face her.

"Thanks Eliot."

He nodded and she released his hand, letting him continue on his way. She watched him, walk up to the bar and start talking to the mark.

Watching him, she noticed the way that he flipped his hair away from his face, laughed at the mark. She remembered the twinkle in his eye as he had stared at her while they danced.

Parker realized that she was in love with Eliot, but there was nothing she could do about it. He had kissed her on the head…no romantic attraction there. And without that mutual attraction, she wasn't going to pressure him to feel anything for her that he didn't. Steeling herself, she walked over and got into her part for the job.

*****

Eliot glanced over at Parker as he stood at the bar, talking to the mark. A kiss to the forehead? Seriously? But what else could he do? He couldn't just kiss her on the lips. She would freak out more than ever and he would never be able to face her again.

Watching as she made her way over, Eliot forced himself to realize that he couldn't do anything. He would keep the relationship that he had with her. It might not be what he wanted, but it was enough…for now.

A/N: A little bit of foreshadowing at the end there. I'm sorry if you hate this chapter, I'm not too fond of it myself. But bear with me, the best chapter is coming, and you will not be disappointed! I swear!


	6. Chapter 6: Mission

Disclaimer: I still don't own Leverage…

A/N: Here it is guys, the final chapter. The one time that Parker wasn't subtle. Are you ready?! ARE YOU PSYCHED?! CAUSE I SURE AS HECK FREAKING AM!!!

I have a request guys. When you review, please, tell me what you would like to see in an upcoming story. Give me some ideas as to what you want. I'm trying to get a million hits on my Leverage stories, so anything to keep you guys happy!!! So, this is it, I hope you enjoy! Please review! That includes you my silent stalkers as kausingkayn refers to you. And this one is actually dedicated to Meg, for being very excited about this story and inspiring me to keep writing, and to kausingkayn, who's constant withholding Eliot/Lindsey chapters to get me to write my story faster is the reason this is here right now! Onward!

Chapter 6: Mission

Parker watched as Eliot fought the small army that had surrounded him, each man going down in a quick and orderly fashion. She just stood by the side, not wanting to get involved in case she would get hurt and distract the hitter from his job.

The job had gone wrong. Their cover had been blown and the mark was trying to get rid of them, not just by having the nice men with badges come and take them away. He was going to get rid of all evidence that could be used against him, even the people trying to take him down. It almost reminded her of the first job they had done together, but she needed to focus on the present and pushed the thought out of her mind.

The last guy went down and Eliot turned to Parker. "Darlin', you need to get out of here," he said, walking over to her. "There are going to be more guys coming and I need you to get out so I know you're safe."

"I'm not just going to leave you behind," she protested.

"Parker, listen to him," Nate said over the comm.. "Just get to Hardison and come back to the office. Eliot's truck is there, so he can follow behind."

Sighing, Parker nodded and turned to leave. A hand on her arm stopped her and she turned around to meet the hitter's gaze. "I will make sure you are safe…I promise. No one is going to hurt you," he said quietly and she nodded. As soon as Eliot released her, Parker turned and headed out of the building. She ran to the van that was waiting not too far from the entrance and jumped in next to Hardison.

"Nate, they're here," she heard Eliot say over the comm..

"Take care of them and then get out Eliot. We can rethink strategy and finish this guy off later."

"Got it boss."

Hardison started down the road and back for the office. When they were about at the end of the drive for the building there was an explosion and the hacker skidded the car to a halt. Parker jumped out and turned back to the old warehouse, looking in horror as the whole thing went up in flames. A few moments later, the whole thing blew apart.

"ELIOT!" Parker screamed, running back down the drive until strong arms held her back. "WE HAVE TO HELP HIM! LET ME GO!"

"Parker, we can't do anything," Hardison murmured and she heard the pain in his voice. "There's nothing."

"NO!" she screamed. "ELIOT! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!"

Her legs buckled beneath her and Hardison picked her up, cradling her, and carried her back to the van, setting her in the passenger side and buckling her in. She was crying, sobs wracking her body.

"Hardison, what's going on?!" Nate shouted.

"The warehouse is gone, Eliot was still inside…" the hacker replied before going back around to the driver's side and got in, continuing down the road. "I'm bringing Parker back now."

"No…" Sophie murmured over the comm..

"How is she Hardison?" Nate asked, knowing that the thief would most likely be tuning out the conversation. Alec glanced over at her and shook his head sadly as he watched his best friend cry, knowing that there was nothing he could do to ease her pain.

"Not good Nate, not good at all…"

*****

Back at the office, Sophie was holding onto Parker tightly, rocking the crying thief back and forth as they sat on the couch. Parker hadn't said a word since Hardison had placed her on the van and buckled her in, and now, she was slowly starting to revert into herself, not wanting to deal with the grief and the loss that had once again been thrust into her life. Made worse by the fact that she was in love with him, but she had never told him.

Nate had tried everything he could think of, the comms., Eliot's cell phone, everything that he could think of, and yet there was no word. The hitter was gone.

"How could we lose Eliot?" Sophie asked Nate in her quiet, shocked voice.

"We knew that this was a possibility," Nate said firmly, trying to stay strong. "His job was always most dangerous."

"Come on man," Hardison protested. "He was always so careful about it, there was hardly ever a chance that anything would happen. What the heck happened?"

"I don't know, but we need to find out where the mark is and make sure that he thinks he got rid of all of us in that warehouse, so that we can finish the job."

"You want…to finish the job?" Parker asked, looking up at Nate. Everyone glanced at her in surprise, shocked that she had said anything at all. "You want to finish the job after Eliot got killed?"

"Parker," Sophie started, but was cut off by the thief.

"Eliot is dead! He's dead Nate!" she shouted, standing up and standing in front of him. "This job is over! There is no way we can finish it!"

"Parker," Nate said, grabbing her shoulders and holding onto her when she tried to pull away. "Yes, he's gone, but do you think he would have wanted us to abandon our clients?" She was silent and refused to meet Nate's gaze. "Parker?"

"No…no he wouldn't…" she whispered, just loud enough for Nate to hear. "He…he would have wanted us to follow through, kick some butts, bust some heads…"

She was trying to be humorous but it hurt too much. It was like a giant hole had been punched in her chest. She didn't know if she could keep going after this.

"So, how are we supposed to finish this without him? I mean, he was the only person who had a chance of taking down Johnson's men. Without him, there is a slim to none chance that we are going to be able to get through the security, get the information we need and take him down. Without him, we're finished."

"Without who?"

Everyone froze and turned their gaze slowly towards the door and saw the hitter standing there, looking around at them, his expression telling them that he had no idea what was going on. "What's up?" he asked.

The next moment, he was being bombarded by Nate, Hardison and Sophie, the three of them running over. Sophie and Hardison gave him a huge hug and Nate shook his hand as soon as he was free of the grifter and hacker. "Seriously, what's up?" he asked.

"The warehouse exploded. Parker and I thought you were dead man!" Hardison exclaimed.

"Johnson had the place rigged just in case I was able to take his thugs down. I found out about the bomb and luckily I was able to get out. I couldn't get the others out though."

"We've been trying to contact you! Where have you been?!" Sophie exclaimed.

"My comm. got knocked out during the fight. I was going to call ya'll, but when I got up from the explosion, I realized that my cell phone had been fallen out of my pocket while I was running to get out. I got back as soon as I could. I figured you might be worried, but…" Eliot trailed off, motioning around the room, "…I had no idea you were going to be this ups…"

He trailed off when he saw Parker, still standing in the middle of the room. "Darlin', you okay?" he asked.

Eliot knew she wasn't. He could see it in her eyes saw the tear stains on her face and knew that she was everything but okay.

Parker didn't say anything. She stared at him, walked towards him, reached up with her hands, held his face and leaned in, smashing her lips against his. The hitter tensed in surprise and then relaxed into it, reaching down and putting his hands on her hips, holding her in place.

There was a gasp from Sophie, an "Uh," from Nate, and a muttered "Get a room," from Hardison. After what seemed like an eternity, Parker released Eliot and they both caught their breath.

"Parker…what was that?" Eliot asked when he had caught his breath. Glancing around he realized that the others had vacated the room and left them by themselves.

"I love you," she said flatly. "And I thought I had lost my chance to tell you when I saw that warehouse go up in flames. I know that you don't feel the same way but…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Eliot had pressed a finger to her lips. "How do you know that I don't feel the same way? I think you're doin' a lot of assumin' darlin'."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and when he took his finger away, he bent down and pressed his lips against hers gently. When he pulled away he smirked at the shocked look on her face before giving her a look she had never seen before. Yes, there was concern, but there was something else there too…caring…love.

"I love you too Parker, I just didn't want to tell you and risk ruining our relationship."

"Well that was stupid," she said bluntly. "How else was I supposed to know?"

He looked at her, mouth hanging open for a second before he threw back his head and laughed. "Come here darlin'," he said and pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly. "Are you better now?" he asked, swaying with her.

"Yeah, now that you're here…" the thief murmured. "I was so scared…when I thought you were gone…"

"I'm here, I'm here," he soothed. "Now, why don't we go find the others and figure out how to take this guy down."

Parker nodded and pulled away a bit reluctantly. As they headed down to the bar, Eliot wrapped an arm around her waist and she leant into him, resting her head on his shoulder. They had each other, the two most screwed up members of the team, the loners, had found someone. And no thanks to taking their time.

Subtlety is overrated.

A/N: Okay, that is it folks! All wrapped up! If there is anything you want me to expand on, I shall do it! If you want me to do another story like this, gimme some ideas! Drop me some reviews! I hope you come back to read what I have planned for the future!


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